NewsOK Comics Podcast: Captain America casting rumors, record comic book prices and reviews of Flash: Rebirth 6, Dark Wolverine 83, Blackest Night 7 and X-Men Forever 18 [video]
Kyle Roberts and Matt Price discuss record prices for Action Comics 1 and Detective Comics 27; Captain America casting rumors including John Krasinski; and reviews of comic books from this week including Flash: Rebirth 6, Dark Wolverine 83, Blackest Night 7 and X-Men Forever 18.
State creators return in Popgun anthology
WORD BALLOONS
The wandering postapocalyptic oddballs of “Bastard Road” return in “Popgun” Vol. 4, which was released Wednesday by Image Comics.
Brian Winkeler of Yukon writes “Bastard Road,” and the artist and co-creator, Dave Curd, lived in Oklahoma for about 12 years. Bastard, the lead character, and Farel, his sidekick, get into two separate but intertwining adventures in “Popgun” Vol. 4. “Popgun” is an anthology of creator-owned comic-book work.
In the first “Popgun” story in the volume, illustrated by Curd, Bastard meets the “sexy, last lumberjack of the apocalypse, Elle Natural,” Winkeler said. “She does not take kindly to his crude come-ons, and hilarity and violence ensue.”
The second “Bastard Road” story in “Popgun” Vol. 4 is drawn by Oklahoma City artist Eric Sandhop.
“(It) starts at the same place as the beginning of the first story, and it’s essentially kind of a solo Farel tale, where he gets involved in a bar fight between leather-clad government agents and lizard thugs, basically,” Winkeler said. “The end of the first story actually crashes into about two-thirds of the second story, and the end of the second story kind of wraps up the entire adventure.”
“Popgun” Vol. 4 is the first published comic-book work of Sandhop, a graphic illustrator and longtime comics fan.
“It’s extremely exciting, one of those lifelong goals,” Sandhop said. “It was really a treat to get to do it and make it happen.”
Winkeler and Sandhop will sign copies of “Popgun” Vol. 4 from 5 to 9 p.m. today at New World Comics, 6219 N Meridian.
“Bastard Road” went international in 2009, appearing in the “El Manglar” Spanish anthology.
“We’re the only Americans in the publication,” Winkeler said.
And the “Bastard Road” crew has even more in store.
In the planning stages is a crossover with the Savage Dragon, one of Image Comics’ first superheroes. A four-part story is in the works to appear as a backup in the “Savage Dragon” comic book by Erik Larsen. And independent developers are starting preliminary work on an iPhone game application featuring the characters.
“We’re still having a ton of fun, and this might be a good year to see how much farther we can take it,” Winkeler said.
Signing
Writer Brian Winkeler and artist Eric Sandhop will sign copies of “Popgun” Vol. 4 from 5 to 9 p.m. today at New World Comics, 6219 N Meridian. Information: 721-7634.
By Matthew Price
From Friday’s The Oklahoman
First Superman, now Batman: Detective Comics #27 sells for more than $1m
Earlier this week, Superman’s first appearance in “Action Comics” No. 1 sold for $1 million. Now, Batman’s broken that record. The first appearance of Batman, in “Detective Comics” No. 27, has sold for $1,075,500, according to the Associated Press. Both the buyer and seller remain anonymous; the sale was handled by Dallas-based Heritage Auction Galleries.
This “Detective Comics” is in similar condition to the recently sold “Action Comics,” grading at 8.0 on a 10.0 scale.
“The movement of a copy of both of those books in the same week is a shift in the back-issue market that I would call tectonic in nature,” said Rob Vollmar, of the Atomik Pop comic-book store in Norman. ” Copies of either one of those don’t sell very often, because there are so few of them.”
Vollmar also pointed out that Batman’s first appearance has now outstripped the price of the first appearance of Superman, which is historically unusual.
- Matt Price
Preview of Iron Man Free Comic Book Day issue
The Free Comic Book Day web site has a 7-page preview of the Marvel all-ages Silver level Free Comic Book Day Book, “Iron Man: Supernova.” The issue looks to be a team up between Iron Man and Nova. Kind of cool to see Nova getting this kind of top-level exposure! Given the creative success of the “Nova” series under Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, I wonder if there has been discussion of a Nova motion picture.
- Matt Price
Might John Krasinski wield the shield of Captain America?
John Krasinski (AP Photo/Evan Agostini)
Deadline Hollywood claims to have the list of actors trying out for “Captain America,” to be directed by Joe Johnston, and the most surprising name on the list is John Krasinski, who plays Jim on the NBC sitcom “The 
Office.” While Krasinski is a big guy, he’s not probably the first person who springs to mind when you think “action hero.” Then again, neither was Michael Keaton.
The rest of the list, from Deadline:
Chace Crawford (CW’s Gossip Girl)
Scott Porter (NBC’s Friday Night Lights)
Mike Vogel (Cloverfield)
Michael Cassidy (CW’s Privileged, Smallville)
Patrick Flueger (Brothers)
Garrett Hedlund (Tron Legacy)
According to Deadline, Hedlund hadn’t yet made a test deal, but was on the list to be considered. Who do you think should play Captain America? Vote below, or leave suggestions in the comments.
Click past the cut to see pictures of each candidate.
Will David Goyer write Man of Steel?
David Goyer
Latino Review posts that David Goyer (“Batman Begins”) has been hired to write the Superman reboot, which the site says will be called “Man of Steel.” According to Latino Review, it will hearken to the John Byrne era of Superman comics, will feature Luthor and Brainiac, and will not star Brandon Routh.
All of this is still conjecture at this point, but makes for interesting speculation. In a recent Nerdage post, more than 80 percent of readers were in favor of Routh returning to play Clark Kent/Superman in the new Superman film, however, it always seemed to be a long shot that it would happen. I’d say Routh isn’t absolutely out until a new casting announcement for Superman is made, however – and I imagine we’re still months away from that happening.
- Matt Price
Sean Phillips joins Dark Tower team
Marvel Comics has announced that “Criminal” artist Sean Phillips will join the creative team of the “Dark Tower” series, beginning with “Dark Tower: The Gunslinger” No. 1.
Phillips joins Peter David, Robin Furth and Richard Isanove on the team bringing Stephen King’s creation to life in comics format.
“I’m very much looking forward to seeing Sean’s depiction of Mid-World and the superb manner in which he’ll be telling Robin’s stories. Jae left him sizable boots to fill, but I have every confidence that Sean is more than up to the challenge, and I’m looking forward to dialoguing his peerless pencils,” said David in a release from Marvel.
“Dark Tower: The Gunslinger” No. 1 is set for a May release.
- Matt Price
Carrie Underwood clip from “How I Met Your Mother”
Country music star Carrie Underwood is slated to guest-star on Monday’s episode of “How I Met Your Mother,” and Cinemablend shares a clip, featuring Carrie Underwood and Barney interacting in a historical fantasy. If you’ve ever wanted to see cavegirl Carrie Underwood, click past the cut for the clip.
Action Comics 1 sells for $1M
In this image released by Comic Connect Corp., a the June 1938 cover of "Action Comics" that first featured Superman, is shown. (AP Photo/Comic Connect Corp.)
A high-grade copy of Action Comics 1, featuring the first appearance of Superman, has sold for $1 million dollars, according to the Associated Press. Both the buyer and seller remained anonymous. The transaction was handled by ComicConnect.com, according to the AP.
The book is an unrestored 8.0 on a 10.0 scale. “Action” No. 1 rarely comes up for sale, and only about 100 are believed to still exist. The book was published in 1938.
Rob Vollmar, of the Atomik Pop comic-book store in Norman, said he was surprised to see a comic break the $1 million barrier in this tough economy, but said ultimately the scarcity and historical value of the book, and high quality of this copy, led to the record-breaking price.
“It illustrates the fundamentals of comic collection in a sense,” Vollmar said. “There are very few of them, there are never going to be any more, and it’s a thing of significant enough cultural value that regardless of what the economy apparently is doing, if one of those changes hands, it’s going to shift a significant amount of money in the process.”
- Matt Price
Click past the cut for a scan of the the rarely seen back cover of this historic comic.
Matt Damon visits Planet 46
George Lang invites Matt Damon to Planet 46 with a discussion of Damon’s Oscar-nominated role in “Invictus.” This kicks off Planet 46′s Oscar warm-up week, with four Oscar-related interviews to come this week.
Planet 46 will finish off the week with the not-Oscar-nominated — but nevertheless never boring — Kevin Smith, as he discusses his new film, “Cop Out.” Next week, look for five more Oscar-related articles on Planet 46, including interviews with Christoph Waltz and Morgan Freeman.
- Matt Price
